Congratulations, your book baby is now ready for release! What comes next? It’s time to celebrate your book release with friends who are ready to shout out your book news on social media.
As a blogger, writer, and voracious reader, so far, I have been on nearly twenty launch teams. I’ve gathered some wonderful ideas and went through some “growing pains” with friends as they crafted their release teams.
Take a deep breath, and exhale. We’re here to make sure your launch team is everything you hoped it would be… and so much more.
What Not to Do
Any timeline suggested is a guideline, not written in stone dates to adhere to. If you are early, start working on what you can. If you’ve passed a “deadline” you can probably catch up (although some scrambling might take place).
Don’t #1 Where’s my tribe? Two or three months before your launch, place an all-call on your social media, website, author blog, and newsletter asking for launch team members. Give them details of what they will need to do if they become part of your team. Not everyone will be able to do what you require.
Don’t #2 No spending limit! You’ll want to have a budget that fits your financial needs for contest prizes both within your launch team and on social media at large: books, branded author items, possible postage, etc. We all love those cute paperclips or notepads, or any office supplies in general, so please remember to keep an eye on your wallet and get creative about your prizes.
Don’t #3 Accept everyone (more accurately, choose wisely). Are the interested persons tech savvy? Do they have all the large social media outlets in regular rotation on their computers and/or phones? Have they written reviews before, created memes, recommended books to friends? The more your team is promotions oriented, the better the reach will be to interested persons. AKA, your readers.
Don’t #4 No GPS? We’re ready for a party. But where is it located? This is a huge event in your writing life, celebrate with your new and longtime friends on Facebook by creating a group. Helpful hint-have several trusted and knowledgeable author/writer friends serve as administrators or moderators on the page along with you. You’ll have “more eyes” on the page when questions or comments arise from launch team members.
Don’t #5 No Guidance. For some of your group members this might be their first time on a launch team. It’s okay to have newbies, sometimes they are the most enthusiastic! But you’ll want to set parameters for the launch team such as participation expectations, how to post reviews to booksellers websites, where they can post, and when to name a few.
The Fun Stuff
Okay, you know what not to do, now what about the things you Do need to take care of?
DO #1 Create a fun atmosphere for your group. Your team is part of a community. Create a fun, vibrant, place for them to visit and chat. Let them get to know you and each other better through this group.
DO #2 Prizes. Everyone loves prizes! Have meme or video creation contests centered around your book, photo scavenger hunts for objects, colors, something that appears in your novel, and even your website. Remember, the prizes don’t have to be pricey. Get creative.
DO #3 Show your appreciation for them being part of your group. Tucking some bookmarks in the ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) you send to them and writing a “thank you” note are simple things you can do to build the team relationship further. Other things that can be done are sending some chocolates, a few “while you’re reading” tea bags, or an author branded item. Even is they are reading your ARC digitally, you can still send some of these goodies to them.
Do #4 Keep the sizzle in social media. Your 10-day countdown Ask your top ten performers to create a meme to post on their assigned day so all the launch team members can share it on their social media. You can tweak the posting timeline to suit your needs. It is an exciting way to celebrate your upcoming release, whether it is a 10-day countdown, or 3 or 4-day countdown. It is totally up to you.
Do #5 Have a release day party on Facebook with your team members. Let them know how much their participation means to you. All of you deserve to celebrate on this special day, and it’s a great way to thank them for the work they’ve done to promote your book.
When book launch time arises for you, have fun, remember to breathe, and celebrate because you did it! Congratulations! All the best to you and your future book launching teams as you bring your book babies out into the world, one confident step at a time.
Stacy T. Simmons helps writers of Christian fiction in her role as president of ACFW-DFW and at her blog, Fueled by Faith and Caffeine.
Stacy writes uplifting fiction that delights the reader’s romantic sensibilities. Thirty-three years of marital bliss is a great contributor. By day, she is an office manager for an insurance agent. By night, she is happily working on her manuscript, or her blog, Fueled by Faith and Caffeine. Her home is filled with family and a menagerie of pets she likes to call “Noah’s Ark.” Connect with Stacy on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. She loves to interact with her readers.
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1 Comment
Great tips!